


It is the east, and he is the sun.

by somedaytuesday



Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV), Nerve (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Nerve (2016) Fusion, I bs-ed this so yeah, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), just went and posted this--we die like warriors
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:09:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26871934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somedaytuesday/pseuds/somedaytuesday
Summary: welcome to NERVEa game like truth or dare minus the truthwatchers pay to watch and players play to wincash and gloryARE YOU A WATCHER OF A PLAYER?Alex is prompted to join the new game Nerve by his new friends Jess and Hannah but before he can stop it he's wrapped up in the dangerous world of the popular online game.
Relationships: Hannah Baker & Alex Standall, Jessica Davis & Alex Standall, Zach Dempsey/Alex Standall
Comments: 9
Kudos: 17





	It is the east, and he is the sun.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even know what this is dudes.

**WELCOME TO NERVE  
A GAME LIKE TRUTH OR DARE MINUS THE TRUTH  
WATCHERS PAY TO WATCH AND PLAYERS PLAY TO WIN  
CASH AND GLORY**

**ARE YOU A WATCHER OR A PLAYER?**

**ARE YOU A WATCHER OR A PLAYER**?

“Seems cool right?” Hannah asks him a little giddily beside him. She’s been hooked on this new game for weeks as a player. She does moderate stuff—mooning someone, stealing things, etc. all in return for cash and occasional rewards from the actual company. Meanwhile, Jess is a dedicated watcher that always has the Nerve live feeds on and eventually she plans to become a player. He saw the appeal but never really decided to get into it. But now the two have decided to try and rope him into too.

“You guys know my dad is a cop right—like this shit looks illegal as fuck.”

“I thought you said you were a searcher Alex, the whole try new things bullshit.” Jess says and flops down on the other side of him. Clips of people’s dares flash at him from his laptop screen. It all seems kind of dangerous to him.

“Yeah, come on live a little!”

He looks back at Hannah and Jess, both trying to pull the puppy dog eyes in that lame way that always seems to work. He sighs in defeat. “I’m gonna regret this” and clicks on the player. Go big or go home. It loads for a second and then his phone buzzes in his hand and he looks down and sees the first dare.

**GO TO ROSIE'S DINER**

\------------

  
**ACCEPT REJECT**

“That’s lame.” Hannah says as she peers over his shoulder and he clicks accept, his account going live as he does so.

“Well right now it’s all cash and not so risky dares from watchers, once he gets higher up the company will give him better dares and better rewards.” Jess says and shrugs, grabbing the keys out of her bag and they head to Rosie’s. The car ride is a little underwhelming, and Alex remembers Jess telling him about that kid that died in Seattle from this game.

* * *

The three of them slip into a booth when they arrive, and a message flashed onto his screen.

**DARE COMPLETE.**

Hannah and Jess are buzzing with excitement, but Alex still feels a little uneasy about the whole thing. He takes a quick look around the diner only to train his eyes back at the girls who look over the menu briefly before setting it back down to talk animatedly about some movie he’s never heard of Love, Simon or something.

“You think anyone will know I’m doing a dare for _NERVE?”_ Both girls look back at him and pause, their eyes nervously glancing back at each other.

“I don’t really think the customers here are really into that kind of thing.” Jess answers but the whole exchange between the two made him feel uneasy. Alex contemplates that look for a while, until the waitress comes to take their order and he only orders a chocolate milkshake. After the waitress walks away his phone finally rings with another dare from the watchers. He picks up his phone and peers down at the screen.

**KISS A STRANGER**   
**FOR 5 SECONDS**   
**——————————————-**   
**$100**   
**ACCEPT REJECT**

“They want me to kiss someone.” Alex tells them and he presses accept. It seems easy enough...right?

“How about that lady.” Jess points to a middle age woman with her husband both who quite frankly look like they could snap him in two. Hannah grimaces when she sees the couple, “Yeah...I don’t think Alex wants to you know die tonight.” Alex chokes out an agreement and peers around the diner again. There’s a cranky truck driver, a really old lady, three middle schoolers, and a group of bikers sitting at the bar. Yeah, he’s really doesn’t wanna get maimed by some bikers and is about ready to go and fucking kiss that old lady in the corner when Hannah speaks up again.

“What about him?”

Alex follows Hannah’s gaze behind him to some guy a few booths down. His immediate thought is that the guy looks familiar. The guy is looking down at his phone but from what he can see of the guy he can definitely say he’s hot. Short cut black hair parted and gelled to one side with a couple hairs falling down into his face, broad shoulders and tan skin. But then he notices the Joy Division shirt, but he doesn’t get to say anything on it before Jess speaks from behind him. 

“Wait isn’t that Zach Dempsey?” Zach Dempsey? Alex remembers hearing the name before, but it’s only been like a couple weeks since he’s been at Liberty High. He takes a longer look at the dark-haired teen and he remembers seeing him in his English class and in the halls. He can only remember seeing him around the jocks. But in the weeks, he’s been at Liberty high he hasn’t heard anything bad about him. The only thing he knows about him is that he's in practically every sport in the school, he's smarter than he lets on and that he keeps to himself. 

He hears a loud beeping sound and looks down to see his screen flashing. 

**HURRY UP.**

“Go kiss him!” Jess grabs his phone from his hands and nudges him out of the booth. But he sees that her gaze is pensive, and he’d say almost worried but in the few weeks that he's come to know her she's been the most protective out of the three of them. 

“Hopefully I don’t get punched.” He gives a weak smile as he stands from the booth. 

“Fingers crossed,” Hannah says as she pats him lightly on his arm, but he sees her eyes are layered with worry. “I haven’t heard anything about Zach being homophobic but if he tries anything, we’ll be on him in a second.” 

He nods and takes a deep breath that really doesn’t help, and he begins walking toward the guy. 

He can do this. 

He stands beside the booth looking down at the guy hunched over his phone, Alex’s hands are clenching and unclenching at his sides. 

“Joy division huh...that’s my favorite band.” He tries to say casually but it ends up coming out just as nervous as he expected. The guy peers up at him curiously and Alex freezes because fucking hell this guy is hot as fuck. Alex glances back toward Jess and Hannah and they have the camera up and going. _Shit_. He turns back and dark eyes are looking up at him expectantly. 

“A change of speed, a change of style...” He hears him recite and Alex smiles at the familiar lyrics and responds back with the next line, “A change of scene, with no regrets...” 

He watches as the guy’s lips curl a little knowingly. 

“10 seconds Alex!” He hears Hannah yell from behind him. He shuffles on his feet and shakes his head to calm his nerves.

“Fuck it.” He swoops down and presses his lips to the others. There’s a second of hesitation before he feels the other pressing back into him. He’s kissing this guy he doesn’t really know but there’s shivers running down his spine at the feeling. It brings a dizzy feeling in him to light. He was so lost in the feeling of the other’s lips on his own that he just began to realize that he can vaguely hear someone counting down. 

“Two...one...zero...Alex you can stop now—Alex!” He pulls away and the only thing he can do is stare at the dark eyes looking back at him. 

_Holy fuck_

“Okay then.” The other says as he blinks once as if he's in shock but then a grin begins to pull at his lips. 

“Okay uh...” He pats the dark-haired man’s shoulder awkwardly and turns to walk away “Thanks...so uh...bye.”

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck_. 

Hannah and Jess still have his phone up and those assholes are just laughing at him as he approaches the table. He weakly scowls at the both of them which only makes them laugh harder. 

“Well I’d say that went wayyy better than we were expecting huh?” Hannah grins. 

“Ugh FML.” He groans as he drops into the booth and snatches back his phone. 

**DARE COMPLETE**

**@therealalex 170 WATCHERS**

**$100 has been wired to your account**

“FML.” The two girls agree cheekily, his friends are devils. 

“Holy shit guys I just did that.” And he honestly can’t believe it, his heart is actually about to burst out of his chest because holy shit he really had the balls to go and kiss Zach Dempsey and he really really fucking liked it. 

“Damn we’re in the presence of Mr. Casanova over here Hannah can you believe it?’ Jess says in an obvious sarcastic tone as she brings her hand up to her chest in a false surprise. He watches as Hannah grabs onto Jess’ left shoulder with both hands and begins to shake her lightly. Hannah gasps dramatically before she says, “O-Oh my god Jess I might faint right here!” 

He flips them off which only starts another round of laughter. “Ha ha ha you guys are sooo funny.” He rolls his eyes at the two. As the two girls continue to make fun of him his eyes fall on the waitress coming their way. He notices that this one is different from before. 

“Okay so I got the bacon cheeseburger and fries?” 

“That’s me.” Jess speaks up. The waitress sets down hers then goes to Hannah’s food next. 

“BLT and fries?” Hannah raises her hand and immediately digs in when her plate is set in front of her. 

“Okay and then finally the chocolate shake?” 

“Me.” He says, and she sets it down in front of him. 

“Is there anything else you need?” She says as her eyes flicker across the three of them. 

“No, thank you.”

“I’m all good.”

“Nope.” 

“Okay well if you need anything my name is Leilah so just call me over. Enjoy!” She leaves the three, but his eyes' follow the older woman as she makes her way into the kitchen. He sees as her smile fall slightly and can see just how tired the woman is. Her eyes look heavy with how deep her dark circles are. His heart immediately goes out to her. But he doesn’t get to think about it for long because suddenly a voice is shouting across the diner. 

_“ But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?”_

Alex immediately turns to see the guy he kissed only a couple minutes ago standing next to the booth with his arms up and spread wide.

_“ It is the east, and Juliet is the sun._

_Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,_

_Who is already sick and pale with grief,_

_That thou her maid art far more fair than she:”_

Zach spoke confidently before he watches his face scrunch up in confusion. 

“Uhhh something something something ...

_And none but fools do wear it; cast it off._

_It is my lady, O, it is my love!”_

His tan hands dance dramatically in the air beside him as he skirts around the diner speaking what Alex recognizes as Romeo and Juliet. 

“Oh my god what the fuck.” He hears Jess whisper from the other side of the booth. 

“Do you think it’s a dare?” Hannah asks. Alex turns his head to the two of them who’s eyes are on each other, both raised in surprise. Hannah and Alex both return their gazes back to the Zach, but Alex sees out of the corner of his eye as Jess picks up her phone and starts typing. 

“ _O, that she knew she were!_

_She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?_

_Her eye discourses; I will answer it.”_

Zach starts to talk slower like he’s trying to remember the next lines. 

_“I--I am too bold, ’tis not to me she speaks:_

_Two of the...fairest stars in all the heaven,_

_Having some business, do entreat her eyes_

_To twinkle in their spheres till they return.”_

Alex hears a door open and sees the waitress Leilah coming out from the kitchen. She seems amused but she quickly drops it to take on an air of authority. Zach immediately sees her coming towards him and begins to walk backwards towards the other side of the diner. But he doesn’t stop speaking. 

_“What if her eyes were there, they in her head?_

_The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,_

_As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven_

_Would through the airy region stream so bright_

_That birds would sing and think it were not night.”_

Zach motions his hands outwards as if he was acting on stage and Zach begins to talk faster as Leilah gets closer. 

“Honey, I’m gonna need you to stop, you’re disturbing the other customers.” Leilah shouts so that she can be heard over him. But Zach doesn’t stop although he does seem to be nervous of the woman before him. 

_“See, how she uh leans her cheek upon her hand!_

_O, th-that I were a glove upon that hand,_

_That I might touch that cheek!”_

Just as he speaks the final line Leilah manages to grab onto his arm, so he doesn’t try to get away. 

“Zach.” 

“Sorry!” He seems almost sheepish as she looks up at him. Her hard stare falls away and she’s shaking her head as a warm smile begins to spread across her face. 

“Zach you may be a regular but disturbing the customers is not allowed.”

“I know, I know,” Zach responds. It only leaves Alex feeling confused because he looks like a kid who just got caught drawing on the walls. It’s strange because he didn’t expect to see this from Zach. He looks over to Jess and Hannah and it seems that they thought the same. "I won’t do it again."

“Good, now get back to your booth.” She says as she puts her hand on her hips. He only nods and walks back. The diner was silent besides the pop radio station playing in the background. Alex sees the other customers watching with a variety of looks. Some curious, others annoyed and then there's the middle schoolers who are on the verge of laughing. What just happened?

Alex trains his gaze back on the two girls across from him. But the two are looking at Jess' phone.

"What?"

Jess looks at her phone for a second before she turns it towards him. 

**WATCHING: @DEMPZEE**

**8,549 WATCHING**

**LIVESTREAM ENDED A MINUTE AGO**

On the screen was a replay video of Zach reciting Shakespeare while a sea of live comments were still flooding next to the recent livestream. 

**_"Such a shitty dare"_ **

**_"jesus he's hot as fuck"_ **

**_"lmao"_ **

**_"did you guys see him on @therealalex?"_ **

**_"jajajajaja"_ **

**_"il est très mignon"_ **

**_"^^^I saw that stream it was cute af"_ **

**_"gay"_ **

**_"MERDE REGARDEZ CES BRAS."_ **

"Guess I was right..." Hannah says quietly. "What a coincidence though."

"I wouldn't say coincidence," Jess starts while she looks between the two of them. "you saw the Joy Division shirt." Alex temporarily forgot about that little detail. 

"Oh shit, you're right. The watchers could've made him come here then did the same to Alex." Hannah leaned forward with her elbows against the table. "I'm worried on what they might have in mind though if they thought to bring you both here at the same time." 

That thought made him uneasy. He definitely should've trusted his gut when they told him to join. He opened his mouth to offer his take on the situation when his phone lit up on the table. Alex exchanged a glance with the girls who gave him curious looks before he opened his phone to open the notification from _NERVE._ The two girls leaned over to see his screen. 

**GO TO THE SAN FRANCISCO WITH HIM**

\-------------------

**$500**

**AGREE DISAGREE**

"Looks like the watchers want me to team up with you." Alex glimpsed up at the voice and Zach stood next to his side of the booth. His phone was turned towards Alex and he saw that the message displayed the same as his own. 

"Don't know what they're thinking 'cause I'd be a shitty player to watch." He murmurs when he meets those dark eyes but glances back down at the screen to read the message again. 

"I don't believe that. I mean you've just started right?" Zach assures. Alex turns back to look at the two girls on the other side of the booth. 

"Come on Alex, you never know it could be fun." Hannah speaks up as he makes eye contact with her. Jess nods beside her although the worried look across her face doesn't help. He doesn't know how to feel about the new dare because a part of him was freaking out about all that could go wrong than another part of him was curious and intrigued by the jock beside him. 

"Hey, no pressure at all." Zach added. "I'll be outside if you decide to go." 

With that, Zach gave a friendly smile to the two girls and walked out of the diner. He could only stare at the doors with his mind lost in his decision. Although it was quickly interrupted by the sound of his phone going off. He already knew what it would be. 

**1 MINUTE LEFT**

"Alex, what are you going to do?" He hears the comforting voice of Hannah ask him. He glances back at the dark haired girls one more time. They're both watching him as they wait patiently for his decision. He runs a hand down his face. 

"Fuck it." 

As those words leave his mouth he can feel that same fire rise in him that rose in him when he kissed Zach. It left a jittery feeling in his chest and made his head spin but it left a warmness that spread across his whole body and provided him with a confidence he didn't know before. 

The bleached hair teen stands from the booth and reaches into his jean pocket to take out his wallet. He takes out two twenty dollar bills and sets it on the table in front of the two girls.

"Ale--" Jess starts but he cuts her off before she can finish. 

"Let Leilah know she can have the rest." 

The two girls share a look before they turn to give him a smile. 

"Good luck 'Lex, we'll be watching!" Jess smiles and Hannah adds, "Stay safe, coffee boy." 

With a final goodbye he makes his way towards the entrance. 

**Author's Note:**

> You might have seen a part of this under the zalex tag on tumblr.
> 
> Tumblr: somedaymoon  
> Twitter: somedaytuesd


End file.
